27 Jan
Mushroom-Herb Macaroni & Cheese
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 29 Comments
Macaroni and cheese is a perennial favorite among kids and a safe fall back for parents with picky eaters. However, most adults will tell you that they still consider the ooey, gooey dish to be one of the ultimate comfort foods. One of the best things I could have ever done was learn how to make homemade macaroni and cheese from scratch. No more blue box mac n’ cheese for this girl! I have made quite a few different variations (a basic recipe, along with a “grown up” version that includes bacon) and I have to say that this one is by far my favorite. This mushroom-herb version was born out of a fondue dish that my Chief Culinary Consultant and I enjoyed during a snowy weekend last January while watching some playoff football. The fondue dish included brie with a couple of other cheeses and a mushroom-herb paste mixed in; I took this idea and turned it into an insanely delicious baked macaroni and cheese recipe.
17 Apr
Pigu (Italian Gougeres)
Posted by Michelle as Appetizers, Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 18 Comments
It wasn’t until I broke one of these open for the purpose of my photographs that I realized what the perfect description for them is:
Italian Gougères.
Well, maybe a cross between an Italian Gougère and a baked ravioli (minus the ricotta). My grandma has made these the week of Easter for as long as I can remember. I am not sure where exactly the tradition or recipe comes from, but it is certainly a large part of my family’s Easter tradition. Since we typically do not eat meat on Good Friday, the pigu serve as a great alternative for snacking or, in large quantities (which I have been known to consume), for a meal. Aside from the no-meat-on-Good Friday Easter tradition, these would also be great for any party or get together where you’d like to serve appetizers or snacks that aren’t messy and easy for guests to pick up and eat with their hands.
27 Mar
Lasagne Verdi al Forno
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 9 Comments
New month. New Daring Bakers challenge. Or was it? I have become quite accustomed to opening the new DB challenge in anticipation of chocolate, sugar, and everything else that accompanies sweet decadence. As a result, I was quite shocked to see that the challenge for March was lasagna. Hmmm. Don’t get me wrong, as an Italian, I love any kind of pasta you can throw at me, including lasagna, but it’s not really what I’ve come to expect from my Daring Bakers challenges. This seemed more in line with a challenge you might find coming out of the new Daring Cooks group. Ah well. Even though I was disappointed with the lack of sweet confections, I forged ahead and tackled the challenge.
The lasagna is comprised of spinach lasagna noodles layered with white bechamel sauce, a meaty red sauce, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. While I have made homemade pasta before, this was my first time making spinach pasta, as well as a bechamel sauce, and I thought both turned out really well.
10 Sep
Grown Up Mac and Cheese
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 45 Comments
This installment of Barefoot Bloggers was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl, and I could just give her a big hug for picking macaroni and cheese. I mean, really, who DOESN’T love macaroni and cheese?! And what are the odds that Ina Garten would create a mac n’ cheese that wasn’t freaking fantabulous? I have been making the same baked macaroni and cheese recipe for the past year or so, and this version wasn’t too terribly different, but it introduced some “grown up” flavor in terms of the types of cheeses used and the addition of bacon. This really was a fabulous recipe, it certainly lived up to the hype!
02 Aug
Fettuccine Alfredo with Fresh Pasta
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 16 Comments
I was on the hunt for a special sort of dinner tonight, and was trying to steer clear of beef or filets since I made Beef Wellington last Friday night. I was stumped, so I pulled up my 100 List to see if anything on there could provide some inspiration. As I browsing I saw fettuccine alfredo, which is one of my favorite dishes to eat when out to a restaurant, and also something that I have yet to master at home. Sweet, I had my dinner! Then on my list I saw “homemade noodles”… hmmm… That sure would make fettuccine alfredo infinitely better, would it not? This was an absolutely delicious dinner – I might be officially addicted to fresh homemade pasta, and this alfredo sauce was just perfect!
12 Jun
Pesto Pasta & Chicken
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings, Poultry | 26 Comments
What a fabulous meal! This was my first time making homemade pesto and the smell of it brought me back to my childhood and images of my grandfather tending to his garden. This was a great break from our usual dinners and something that I will definitely make more often. Thank you to Barefoot Blogger Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food for choosing this recipe!
I adapted this recipe a bit to suit what I could find in the store and my allergies. First things first, my allergies. I am allergic to all nuts, so I had to venture out and make my own pesto sans the nuts. Quite easy, actually. Next, I couldn’t find much basil at our store and knew I wouldn’t have enough, so I supplemented what I had with baby spinach. I thought it added a great dimension of flavor! However, since I did this I eliminated the frozen chopped spinach (as well as the mayo and lemon juice). And since I like to incorporate protein in the form of meat in most of my dinners, I added some sauteed chicken breast to the dish. So in the end you get a bow tie pasta dish with chicken and a spinach-basil pesto. Honestly, it was fabulous and I really enjoyed it!
See how the other Barefoot Bloggers liked this dish here.
The original recipe as well as my spinach-basil (no nut!) pesto after the break…
04 Feb
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Posted by Michelle as Meat, Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 34 Comments
The ultimate in Italian comfort food.
Growing up, our extended family would gather at my Grandma’s every Sunday for the traditional Sunday dinner (which, in contrast to common nomenclature, is actually eaten by Italians at what is typically lunchtime). While there was always some type of meat on the table, some potatoes and vegetables, the star of dinner was always pasta. It may have been ravioli, gnocchi, manicotti, lasagna, spaghetti (all homemade, of course), or some other variation of pasta, but without a doubt, you could always count on a great pasta dish. It feels warm, comfortable, cozy, and just like home. And for that reason I am submitting my spaghetti and meatballs into What’s For Lunch Honey’s Monthly Mingle Comfort Foods blog event.
Meeta asked fellow bloggers to celebrate the foods that pick us up when we are down, warms us when we are feeling lost, and blurs out the bad mood. This is what spaghetti and meatballs represent in my house… the warmth of family, memories of childhood, and a connection to my heritage.
I hope you enjoy these simple and classic recipes.
20 Jan
Homemade Gnocchi
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 31 Comments
(pardon the steam in my picture!)
I have had homemade gnocchi on my ever-growing list of things to try for quite some time now, and finally got the necessary nudge after I saw them on Joelen’s blog last week. A quick confession – I have never actually eaten non-homemade gnocchi. A spoiled little Italian girl, you may say? Well, I suppose you would be right. Many Sunday dinners at my Grandma’s have left me partial to homemade pastas of all variety. Last spring I began my homemade pasta journey with ravioli and have now added gnocchi to my list of accomplishments. I’m earning my green, white, and red stripes 
I was somewhat nervous to tackle gnocchi because I know it has the possibility of coming out too dense and tough. I followed this recipe to a “T” and I think they came out just perfect. They were plump and soft and slightly firm to the bite – perfect homemade gnocchi! I made these yesterday and froze them as directed in the recipe, then cooked them today and had no problems whatsoever. I would definitely recommend this recipe, as I didn’t need to make any modifications.
13 Aug
Pasta Carbonara Florentine
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 0 Comments
Hold the florentine.
I grew up eating pasta carbonara, as both my mom and grandma make it often, but I had never attempted the dish myself. I saw this recipe in a recent Cooking Light issue and saved it for a night when I just wanted to throw something together. This was one of those nights.
The spinach would be a great addition to this dish, but it was fabulous without it as well! The texture was perfectly creamy and the combination of onion and black pepper gave it a nice bite. Thumbs up
Pasta Carbonara Florentine
(from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (6-oz) package bagged prewashed baby spinach
6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 T. dry white wine (I omitted this)
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti (I used fettuccine)
1/2 cup (2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/4 tsp salt and spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Remove spinach from pan; place in a bowl.
2) Add bacon to pan; cook 3 minutes or until crisp, stirring frequently. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 tsp drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is reduced by half. (I omitted this step.) Remove from heat; keep warm.
3) Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well, reserving 1 T. cooking liquid. Immediately add pasta and the reserved cooking liquid to onion mixture in skillet. Add spinach and bacon; stir well to combine. Place skillet over low heat.
4) Combine remaining 1/4 tsp salt, cheese, pepper, egg, and egg white, stirring with a whisk. Add to pasta mixture, tossing well to coat. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
13 May
Baked Pasta
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 4 Comments
I had never made a baked pasta dish before this weekend, so I decided to give it a shot. I looked through tons and tons of recipes before deciding to make up my own. I also used a new recipe for sauce that I made by combining my favorite parts of different recipes. I definitely think this will be my new sauce recipe! I added the recipe for the sauce at the bottom of this post.
